Unexpected
by gothicbutterfly95
Summary: AU. What could've been if a certain scene had gone slightly differently.
1. Prologue

Captain von Trapp was in his study when Maria first arrived at the von Trapp villa.

Franz knocked on the study door and informed his employer that the new governess was waiting in the foyer. He thanked the butler before dismissing him and a moment later left the study.

He arrived in the foyer to find it completely deserted. The only sign that anyone was here was a worn carpetbag and a guitar case lying at the foot of the staircase. Looking around he noticed the door to the ballroom was slightly ajar.

Georg was positive it had been closed when he was last in the foyer. Nobody ever went inside. Not anymore. He'd made it quite clear to everyone in the household – the children and the staff – that there were certain rooms which were not to be disturbed.

Fearing the worst Georg stood at the door and peered inside. There was enough light filtering inside for Georg to make out the figure of a woman. This had to be the new governess. She was looking around in astonishment, before dipping into a curtsy, as though getting ready to dance with an invisible partner.

Swapping roles and bowing, her little fantasy ended when Georg slammed the doors opened. The woman looked up, startled and then rushed out the door and into the foyer.

As he closed the doors and explained in frustration to her that the room was out of bounds, he could see her fully. She was very young. She couldn't be much older than Liesl, surely. She was dressed in a dark grey dress and a light grey jacket with a hideous red-brown hat on her head. And she was staring at him.

"You don't look at all like a sea captain sir," she answered when he asked the reason behind her expression.

"I'm afraid you don't look very much like a governess," he replied, irritated.

He asked her to turn around, assessing her clothing. He decided it wasn't suitable for her to be dressed like that when she met the children, but after she explained that when one entered the convent, their wordly clothes were given to the poor, and that her current outfit was all she had he realised there was no alternative. After firing off what her duties as governess would be, Georg blew his whistle and called the children downstairs.

She refused to use the whistle, saying they were not appropriate for children. Georg grunted. He'd have to work on that later he thought.

As he turned to walk away, she had the audacity to blow her whistle at him, inquiring, with a look of feigned innocence as to what his signal was.

"You may call me Captain," he said sharply, before stalking off back to his study. The new governess hadn't been in the house for even an hour and she was already causing problems. He'd written to Nonnberg Abbey to acquire the twelfth governess for his children. He was sure if anyone could keep his children in line it would be a nun. But thinking back to his short time with the latest, he wasn't so sure.

He didn't know what to do. Fraulein Maria was completely unexpected.


	2. An Unexpected Visit

Sister Margaretta was surprised when she saw the seven children of Captain von Trapp standing at the gate of the Abbey. Not that the act in and of itself was unusual. What was unexpected was it had taken a week for them to do it.

The morning after Maria had arrived back at the Abbey, the Captain had telephoned, enquiring about her whereabouts. However, after being reassured that Maria was safe and sound, all contact from the von Trapps had ceased.

Until today.

Sister Margaretta knew that the children would be here to see Maria. That went without saying. Whether they would get to see Maria was another matter entirely.

When she had arrived back at the Abbey a week ago, in the middle of the night, Maria had gone straight to sleep. The next morning everyone seemed stunned to discover Maria, not just on time, but in fact early to morning prayers.

But she was quiet and subdued. She wasn't whistling or humming or anything that all the nuns had known her to do. In fact the only sound that left her mouth, aside from the almost silent prayers she would murmur was when she requested seclusion from the Reverend Mother.

She had entered seclusion that afternoon and had been there ever since. She still hadn't said anything, except in prayer. This was so unlike Maria, and everybody was worried about her.

Sister Margaretta supposed that was why she allowed the von Trapp children in.

"Maria is in seclusion," she informed the children, and was met with seven jumbled protests.

"Children, children, please," she said. "I cannot guarantee she will see you, but I shall ask."

Knowing this was probably their only chance to see Maria again, the children agreed and quietened as Sister Margaretta went off to find their governess.

* * *

Sister Margaretta was sure Maria hadn't moved since she'd passed by earlier. The small tray that held her lunch was untouched. Nobody had ever known Maria to act this way. But if anything could make her feel better, it was those seven young people waiting out by the gate.

"Maria," Sister Margaretta said softly. The young postulant didn't move at all, making no indication she had heard the older nun, or knew she was there at all.

"Maria, the von Trapp children are here to see you."

Maria turned around, tears brimming at the corners of her eyes. Then she looked at the older nun and uttered the first words she'd said in a week.

"Tell them to wait in the courtyard. I'll meet them there."

Sister Margaretta couldn't help but smile. She could see the poor girl was still deeply troubled, but she knew that seeing the children would do her worlds of good.

"Very well," she said, before leaving to notify the children.

* * *

The children knew something was going on when they saw Maria walk out into the courtyard to meet them. She walked more slowly than they had ever seen before, and though the smile on her face told them she was happy to see them, it was clear that there was a much bigger issue on her mind.

The solemnity in the air was palpable, and instead of running to greet their governess, the children waited patiently on the bench until she reached them.

Every second Maria looked at the children made her more aware of how much leaving them had hurt. She had never felt like she belonged anywhere more than the villa, with these seven beautiful children and their father.

Their father.

She missed him the most. She didn't know how to define her feelings for Captain von Trapp. Spending most of the past week in seclusion she thought maybe her feelings for this family were fading. But seeing the children again she knew that was not the case.

But there was no way they were going to leave now. Maria knew that. The journey from the villa was a hard one and she was already standing there with them. She couldn't turn them away now. She had to go through with this.

"Hello children," she said, hoping her voice sounded bright. "It's nice to see you."

"It's nice to see you too, Fraulein," Liesl began. Her voice sounded timid.

"We missed you," Marta said softly.

"That's why we came to see you," Gretl added.

"I missed you," Maria said, genuinely smiling for the first time since she had left. As much as it pained her to see what she could never have, there was no denying she was glad the children had come to see her.

Her smile seemed to break the ice and the next moment all the children were asking questions and making comments in a muddle of voices.

"Children please, not so loud," Maria was surprised by how quickly she snapped back into governess mode. Now that the children were here, gone was the lost postulant trying to make sense of her emotions and in her place was the firm but kind caregiver who loved these children so very much.

"If you missed us, why did you leave us?" Marta asked.

"Did we do something wrong?" Louisa questioned.

"No, no, of course you didn't," Maria assured them. "I just needed to do some thinking, and I had to be alone to do it."

"Does that mean you'll come back?" Kurt asked.

Maria sighed. "I don't think so children. I'm very sorry, but I don't think so." She couldn't outright say she definitely wasn't returning; it would break their already bruised hearts. But she couldn't go back. She couldn't face him again.

One by one, she saw their faces drop. Knowing she couldn't allow them to leave feeling this way, she added: "But you can always come back here and visit me. Whenever you want."

"I don't think the Baroness would let us do that," Friedrich said sadly.

"The Baroness?" Maria asked. "What does she have to do with this?"

But she already knew. Her greatest hope and worst fear had both been confirmed when Friedrich had spoken. But she knew the next words would still sting.

"She's going to be our new mother," Brigitta explained. "She and Father are going to be married."

Those words didn't just sting. They broke Maria's heart. She tried to hide her feelings for the sake of the children. She knew she should be happy. The Captain was, after all. And if he was marrying the Baroness, he had gotten over her. Just as the Baroness had predicted.

Which meant she would be able to get over him.

"Well..." she said, trying to change the subject. "If you won't be able to come and see me again, let's make the most of this time, shall we?"

Seven faces smiled up at her.

* * *

They talked for hours and Maria felt happier than she had since the night of the party. The children delighted her with stories of all that had happened since she had left: Gretl's sore finger, Marta's lost tooth, Kurt's new favourite dessert and more.

Maria noticed they never mentioned their father. And she was happy to keep it that way. The mere thought of him made her sad. Who knew what state she would be in if they had been talking about him?

Eventually the eight of them lost track of time completely. They were brought back to reality when Sister Berthe entered the courtyard.

But she wasn't alone. Standing next to her was Captain von Trapp.

Seeing him again, Maria felt her breath catch. She barely heard Sister Berthe telling the children that their father was here to take them home, or notice them get up from the bench and head towards him.

No, her feelings had _definitely_ not faded.

* * *

Sister Berthe left the courtyard and Georg began to lead the children towards the exit, when suddenly, he stopped and looked back at Maria.

She hadn't moved. She was still sitting on the bench, her face expressionless, fiddling with her thumbs. He wasn't angry at the children because they came to see her. He probably would've have done the same thing. He felt something for her.

He had to talk to her. Alone.

He whispered to the children, and led by Liesl, they continued walking away, leaving him alone in the courtyard with Maria.

He made his way over to her and stood beside the bench. "Good evening Maria," he said.

"Good evening Captain," she replied.

"Maria, there is no need for formalities anymore," he said. "Call me Georg."

She couldn't bring herself to say it. She simply nodded, as he sat down beside her on the bench.

"I'm not surprised the children came to see you," he continued. "They really miss you."

"I missed them too," Maria said, trying her best to not directly look him in the eye. If she did that, everything would be thrown into chaos.

"I miss you too," he added, his voice barely above a whisper.

Maria's breath hitched again. She hoped he hadn't heard it, but he probably had. She couldn't help it though. He hadn't said he missed her. He had been speaking in the present tense.

Things were getting out of hand. She needed to change the subject. "I hope you and the Baroness will be happy," she said, fighting to keep her voice sounding normal. "The children told me you were to be married."

Georg felt liked he'd been slapped in the face. Of course the children would've told her about his engagement to Elsa. There was no way he could tell her how he felt about her now. Not without her either getting angry, or hurt, or both. He had to play it safe.

"Maria...would you consider coming back?" he asked. "We all miss you very much and I don't think Elsa has quite taken to the children."

There it was again. Miss you. But Maria couldn't let that rattle her. She wouldn't.

"No, I'm sorry, but I can't," she said, turning her face away. "Besides, the Baroness will have to get used to the children. I'll just be in the way."

Georg's heart dropped. He thought this might have been the case. There wasn't any point continuing the conversation, not with the children waiting for him outside.

Thankfully, a bell sounded, giving both of them an exit. "It's the bell for vespers," Maria explained, rising from the bench. "I have to go."

Georg nodded as he stood up. "Well then – uh," he stammered. "Auf wiedersehen, Maria."

"Goodbye, Georg."

* * *

Walking out of the courtyard towards his children, Georg knew. He knew, without a doubt that he loved Maria. Seeing her again only made him surer of what he needed to do. Even if he could never be with Maria, he couldn't enter a relationship with someone knowing full well he loved another. Whether Maria wanted him or not, he had to break things off with Elsa.

As Maria left the courtyard and headed to vespers she knew. It was obvious that the Baroness was right about one thing; Maria did love Georg. Seeing him again only confirmed it. Despite knowing there could never be anything between them, she couldn't pledge her life to God and join the convent when her heart belonged to Georg. Even if he wouldn't have her, she had to leave the Abbey.


	3. Unexpected News

Maria had barely slept last night. That was nothing new. She had spent many nights while living with her uncle where she didn't sleep at all due to being uncomfortable or scared. Quite often it was both.

She also hadn't slept well since she had returned to the Abbey. Every night for the past week her sleep had been fitful at best. At it's worst she was awake all night staring at the ceiling.

But last night she had been awake for a completely different reason.

What she had said to the children was the truth. She did have a lot of thinking to do. That was why she had entered seclusion; so she could think. But when they had arrived at the Abbey yesterday, clearly to see her, and even more so once their father had arrived, the focus of her thoughts had changed.

Last night after vespers Maria had come to the realisation that she couldn't stay at the Abbey. There was no point denying it. She did love the Captain. Georg. She'd been in love with him for some time now.

He clearly didn't feel the same way. If he did then surely he wouldn't have proposed to the Baroness. She didn't expect he ever would feel that way about her. They were so different. And of course, by now Maria had accepted that true happiness was something she would most likely never get.

But even if she could never be with him, she knew staying at the Abbey was out of the question.

* * *

The following morning, after her surprise visit from the von Trapp family, Sister Margaretta approached Maria as she was leaving breakfast.

"Maria, the Reverend Mother would like the speak with you,"

Maria nodded at the older nun, telling her she would be in the Abbess' office in a few minutes. She was actually very happy about this turn of events, because she knew she had to talk to the Reverend Mother; and soon. However since she would be informing the Mother Abbess that she was leaving, she felt unsure and somewhat awkward about bringing the subject up.

The Abbey had been a very special place to her, for as long as she could remember. Ever since she was young she had wanted to be a nun; from her vantage point as a child it looked like a strong family, where one could belong and serve the Lord. As though were two things Maria had wanted to do all her life, it seemed a wonderful place to be.

It was only after she arrived there, fresh out of teacher's college in Vienna, that she realised it wouldn't be as simple as she had originally thought. As hard as her time at the Abbey had been, it had been her home for the last four years of her life.

But it wasn't any more. She couldn't believe that the wonderful feelings she was experiencing could be wrong. But if she were to continue on the path of becoming a nun, she would have to push them out of her life forever. And she didn't want that.

Despite knowing her decision had been made, Maria stayed silent as she entered the office and kissed the Abbess' hand, before taking a seat.

"You've been unhappy. I'm sorry," Mother Abbess began. She had been worried about Maria. Her return had been unexpected, and behaviour in the week since then was uncharacteristic. And yet...it was clear Maria wasn't as sad today as she had been previously.

"Although, you are looking much happier than you have for the past week," she added.

Maria nodded. She was still nervous, but she had always found the Reverend Mother to be someone she you confide in.

"Would this change have anything to do with the visit from the von Trapps yesterday?"

"Yes," Maria answered.

The Abbess gave a small smile. It was clear that this family had been something good for Maria. Yet it was still unclear, if they really did mean as much to her as she claimed, as to why she had returned to the Abbey.

"Maria, may I ask why you returned to us earlier than you were expected? Why did they send you back?" she asked.

Maria knew this was coming. This question would undoubtedly lead into the rest of the conversation. It was hard to go through, but it had to be done.

"They didn't Mother. I left," she said.

"Why would you do that?" the Abbess was confused, but she had to let Maria say what she needed to at her own pace. "They couldn't have been unkind to you if you saw them when they came to visit yesterday."

"No Mother, it wasn't that. It was me. I was frightened and confused," she began. "I – I've wanted to be a nun ever since I was young, and I thought that what I was feeling was wrong. As a nun I shouldn't, couldn't be feeling it."

Maria hadn't meant for her story to come to come out this way, but now that she had started, she found that she couldn't stop herself.

"You said you sent me out into the world to see if I could expect this life of myself," she continued. "I don't think I can Mother. All my life I have wanted to serve God and do His will wholeheartedly. I want nothing more to devote my life to God; but I don't think I can devote my heart to Him."

"I see," mused Reverend Mother. She was beginning to see what the situation was. "May I ask whether the feelings you were having were about Captain von Trapp?"

Maria simply nodded, and lowered her head, staring into her lap.

"Are you in love with him?"

"Yes," she said, lifting her head. "Yes, Mother I think I am."

It felt good, finally saying it out loud. For the past week she had been actively suppressing her feelings. Back at the villa, she had been silently suppressing them for much longer. The thought that the truth she could never be still hurt deeply. Yet, having acknowledging the truth aloud, Maria's heart felt lighter.

"And you believe that this is God's plan for you?" the Mother Abbess asked.

'No' Maria thought sadly. 'He doesn't love me. He is marrying the Baroness.'

Though she had always been able to confide in the Reverend Mother, Maria suddenly found that this was too much. She couldn't bring herself to tell her, choosing the truth but leaving out the heartbreak.

"I'm not exactly sure where it is, but I do know it isn't here."

Mother Abbess smiled. "I understand. I believe that one should follow God's will, but I also believe that we should be happy doing it. I don't believe the Lord would want the path He has set for us to be an unhappy experience. Hard, at times, definitely, but not unhappy."

"You're not upset?" Maria asked. She wasn't worried any more. She had never believed the Reverend Mother would not let her leave, but had been uneasy about bringing it up. This response put her completely at ease.

"Of course not my child," the Abbess continued. "All I ever wanted was for you to do God's will. If you truly believe you're doing that, I'm happy for you."

"Thank you Mother," Maria said softly. "I was worried that, as I said, that it might be wrong. But I can't see how something so wonderful could be wrong."

"It isn't," assured the Reverend Mother. "The love of a man and a woman is holy too. If you are spending your love the way you believe God wants you to, there is nothing wrong. Loving the Captain doesn't mean you don't love God. If you believe that the life you were born to live should be spent outside these walls, then you should live it."

Maria gave a small smile. "Thank you Mother."

"You're welcome my child. I will finalise the arrangements. Will you be ready to leave tomorrow morning?"

* * *

Maria left the Abbey with conflicting emotions. She was happy; she knew, in the long run, it would be for the best. She did love Captain von Trapp and that being the case, the Abbey was not the proper place for her to spend the rest of her life. She would continue to serve God and do His will, but she would have to find another way to go about it.

At the same time though, she was sad. For exactly the same reason. She was in love, for the first time in her life. She had seen how truly wonderful it could be, as well as how heartbreaking it was when it didn't go the way you wanted it to.

She didn't know what she would do, or where she would go. As she walked down the steps from the Abbey she considered her options, and eventually came to the conclusion that whatever choice she made, she would ultimately need some sort of transportation along the way.

As she approached the bus stop she passed a group of women gossiping. Maria didn't want to eavesdrop, but they were talking quite loudly making it almost impossible for her not to hear _something_.

"I can't wait until Captain von Trapp and Elsa announce their engagement," said one woman.

"Neither can I," added another. "It's been coming for months now. That ball he threw for her practically confirmed it. I'm surprised he didn't propose to her that night."

Hearing those comments, Maria had to fight to keep the tears at bay. Clearly the engagement hadn't been made public, but it wouldn't be long now. She knew the facts and understood the situation, but every time she heard about it, her heart broke all over again, like a healing wound opening up again.

But the next words changed everything.

"I don't know about that," one of the women said. "I heard that Elsa was seen near the railway station yesterday morning, luggage and all. Rumour has it that they ended the relationship."

After hearing that Maria quickly forgot how opposed she was to eavesdropping. In fact she forgot everything. Her mind was racing. _Ended the relationship_. They couldn't do that without having called off the engagement. And if they had ended things that had mean...the Captain was no longer engaged!

Why would he do that? Did he even do it, or was the topic of the conversation nothing more than gossip and false rumours? Maria didn't know.

There was only one way to find out.

Looking back, Maria wouldn't know how she'd done it. She had been thinking so quickly, ideas and thoughts forming almost instantly, but it seemed like everything was happening in slow-motion. In the blink of an eye she had made her decision.

"One ticket to Aigen please,"

* * *

A wave of déjà vu swept over Maria as she exited the bus. It hadn't been that long since she had made this same journey; in the same outfit no less. Yet whole lifetimes had passed since that day.

The first time Maria had made this journey she had been completely mad with fear; she had just kept moving, in any way she could, to make sure she didn't turn back. Even her mouth was moving, singing some nonsensical song she had made up as she went along. Given everything that had been going on in her mind, she hadn't realised how long the road actually was.

She didn't mind though. She had some thinking to do. How the rest of the day went for Maria would ultimately determine the rest of her life.

What she was doing was impulsive. She knew that. But then again, Maria had never been the type of person to sit around and think of all the possible outcomes and consequences before doing something.

Except this time, she had thought about it. For the seven hours she hadn't slept last night she had thought about it constantly. And if there was only one conclusion Maria had reached with all that thinking last night it was that she knew for sure was that she was in love. She had never felt this way before. It was stronger than any emotion she had experienced before. And she didn't want to lose it.

And then of course there was the fact that it still might not work out. Ultimately, she was clinging to the one piece of information she'd heard. She had no confirmation that it was true at all. For all she knew, the Captain and the Baroness could be standing in the driveway kissing when she arrived.

Maria didn't know what she'd do if that was the case. On the other hand, she also knew that this was probably her only chance to get her happy ending. She wasn't going to stop now. She couldn't. Her feelings were strong enough for her to leave the Abbey; to give up on the only real dream she had ever had.

This was her dream now. And she would follow every rainbow until she found it.

* * *

The long road ended all too soon.

Once again Maria had been so absorbed in her thoughts that the journey had passed and she had barely noticed. All too soon she arrived at the von Trapp villa.

Peering through the front gates once again she whispered to herself: "Oh help."

In spite of everything she giggled, before heaving the gate open and walking slowly, but purposefully up the driveway.

Standing on the front steps, she took a deep breath before raising a shaking hand to ring the doorbell.

A moment later the door opened and Maria found herself staring at the Captain. She didn't know what was happening; was yet to find out the truth of those words she heard earlier, but upon seeing him again, all her worries disappeared.

"Maria..." he breathed.

She smiled back at him. "Hello, Georg,"


	4. An Unexpected Situation?

Georg was stunned when he opened the door and saw Maria. He had thought, that even with Elsa out of the picture, Maria would never be a part of his life. From his perspective, she had made it quite clear that she wanted to be a nun; she told him she wasn't coming back.

And here she was standing on the doorstep, dressed in the ugliest dress he ever saw, looking as beautiful as ever.

"Maria..." he breathed.

She smiled back at him. "Hello, Georg,"

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I'd like to come back," she said. "If you'll let me."

Georg was overjoyed. This is what he'd wanted. Despite the fact that she had said she wouldn't be returning, he probably would've gone back to the Abbey and told her how the situation had changed.

No, he definitely would've gone and told her.

She'd just beat him to it.

"Of course I'll let you," Georg said, standing aside so she could enter.

"Thank you, sir," she said as she walked past him into the foyer. She was still holding her bags as she looked up the floor above.

"I suppose the children are still doing their studies," she said, more to herself than to him.

"Mhmm, yes," Georg mused. The children were doing their studies, but, he realised, they would be finished rather soon. And as soon as they discovered that their governess was back, she wouldn't have a moment alone until bedtime. And he desperately needed some time with her by himself.

"Maria, I need to talk to you about a couple of things," Georg said. "Would you meet me in my study?"

"Your study?" Maria asked. She'd never been in there before. Their weekly meetings on the children's progress had always been conducted in his office. She knew that it was one of his most private spaces. She hoped that the fact he wanted to talk to her there meant something.

"Of course," she said. "Just let me drop these in my room."

Georg nodded and headed off towards the study to wait for Maria.

* * *

In her room, Maria left her bag and guitar case by the foot of the bed as soon as she had walked through the door. She was eager to get back to Georg; to find out what was happening.

For a fleeting moment, she considered changing her dress. The one she was wearing now really was quite hideous. She wanted to look nice for Georg, even if his feelings for her weren't the same.

But she knew that if she did change, she would be here for another ten minutes or so. She definitely didn't want that, and instead, just threw her hat on the bed before racing out the door.

* * *

"Come in," Georg said when heard the light rap on his study door.

Maria closed the door behind and stood there, somewhat awkwardly for a few seconds, until Georg told her to make herself comfortable, and she settled herself on the sofa.

As she was doing that she took in her surroundings. Directly opposite where she was sitting was a large window with a view of the gardens and the lake. Underneath the window was a desk. In the corner was a gramophone, and the far wall, as well as the wall behind her had floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.

"What was it you needed to talk to me about sir?" she asked.

"Maria, please call me Georg," he insisted.

Maria nodded. "I'm sorry, I just thought that since I'm back now, as the governess that is, that it would be inappropriate."

"Not at all," Georg assured her. "I consider you a friend, Maria, and I prefer that my friends call me by my given name, whether they are under my employment or not."

"As for what I needed to tell you," he continued. "The most important thing is that Elsa and I have called off our engagement. She returned to Vienna yesterday."

Maria's heart soared. It was true! He wasn't engaged. She wanted to run over to him and have him hold her. But he had only said that he had called off his engagement; he'd said nothing about why.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said.

"Please, don't be," Georg said. "We both agreed it was never going to work between us and parted as friends."

"Well, I'm glad," Maria added. "If you think it's what's best."

Georg nodded.

"Maria," he asked. "May I ask why you left in the middle of the night? And more specifically, why you came back?"

"Well I had an obligation to fulfill and I came back to fulfill it," she answered. She didn't say that the obligation was to find out if he loved her and whether they could have a future together.

"I see," he said to himself. She had put him in a rather awkward position. She was relaxed and calm being around him, but she hadn't said anything about wanting to stay indefinitely, and Georg felt he shouldn't profess his feelings for her until she gave him some sort of sign.

"Georg," she said. Her voice sounded hesitant, unsure. "I-I actually did know that you and the Baroness had ended the relationship."

Georg looked up at her. He went to say something, but before he could form the words she continued.

"Well, I didn't _know_ ," she restated. "I was heading towards the bus stop when I overheard some women talking..."

"And..." Georg prodded. She had his full attention now. Not that he had been able to take his eyes off her since she walked in, but now he was clinging to her every word, waiting for that sign.

"They were saying that the Baroness had left and that that could only mean you had ended the relationship."

"What were you doing at the bus stop?" he asked. "And listening to gossip? That's hardly what someone who wants to be a nun should be doing."

"Actually, I've left the Abbey," she told him. "I realised that it isn't the way I should be living my life. So I spoke to the Reverend Mother and I left this morning. I didn't know where I was going to go, or what I was going to do, but once I heard the women talking, I-I just had to find out..."

Her voice trailed off and she lowered her head. She knew this was the moment, and she didn't know if she could cope if his response wasn't what she wanted.

"Find out what Maria?"

His voice was louder now and she could feel that he'd moved. She looked up and saw he was crouching right in front of her. His face was the same as it had been the night the danced, and yet somehow, it was different. It gave her courage to speak, to voice the dream she had never thought she could have.

"If you feel the same way about me as I do about you?"

Georg's heart felt like it was overflowing. He hadn't felt like this in years. She had to be telling him what he wanted to hear, and silently he moved and sat beside her on the sofa.

"What is it you feel for me, Maria?" he asked sincerely.

"I think it's love," Maria said. She was surprised how easy it was to say. "I've never been in love before, but I can't put any other name to the way I feel about you."

When the words had left her mouth, Maria once again felt lighter; as though she'd a great weight on her shoulders that had suddenly disappeared. Involuntarily, she felt herself falling forward and then...

...his arms were around her. He was holding her like he'd wanted to; the way she wanted him to.

"Oh, Maria," he sighed. "I've wanted to hear you say that for so long. I love you too."

"You do?" she sat up straighter and looked him in the eye. The way he was looking at her, the way he had been holding her had told her as much, but hearing him say he loved her out loud was another thing.

"Yes," he said. "Is that so hard to believe?"

"No," she admitted. "Yes. I mean, I do believe you, but I never thought, even today really, that it would ever happen."

"Well it has _mein liebe_ ," he murmured, leaning towards her. "And I'm so grateful that it has."

"So am I,"

They leaned closer and then, suddenly, all she knew was that Georg's lips were on hers, her lips were on his; they were kissing. Her first kiss. When she would look back on this moment in the future, she didn't know how this could be happening; she somehow knew what to do even though logically she shouldn't. But right then, right there, all that existed was her and Georg.

When they parted, Maria had tears in her eyes. When she could feel them about to fall she turned away from Georg and looked at the floor.

"What's wrong Maria," he asked her.

"Nothing," she choked out. "I'm just so happy. I know it's silly, but I-I just wish I was wearing something nicer. For you," she gestured at her dress. "I mean surely in this I look-"

"Beautiful," Georg said. He cupped her cheek and forced her head to turn towards him. "You look beautiful Maria. You are beautiful. You don't need a dress for that; your beauty shines out through your soul."

Now Maria was really crying. His words had moved her so much. She smiled as the tears ran down her cheeks and Georg leaned in to kiss them away.

But that wasn't enough for Georg. Slowly, his lips moved from Maria's cheek to her lips and he kissed her fully. Maria offered no protestations, moving closer to him and wrapping her arms loosely around his neck.

The kiss ended and Georg placed his hands on Maria's, unhooking them from his neck and bringing their joined hands to rest on their laps. He looked up at her, his eyes full of love and sincerity.

"Maria," his tone was serious. "Will you marry me?"

Maria's jaw dropped. Her head automatically went down, but her heart was so high she was sure that it wasn't even on Earth. This was everything she'd dreamed of since she had arrived, and more.

"In spite of everything that's happened today, I can barely believe you actually said that," she sighed. "I guess no matter how much you love someone those words are always a surprise."

She lifted her head and looked at him. "But yes. Yes, I will marry you Georg. I can't think of any better way to spend my life than as part of this family."

He drew her into his arms once again and she rested her head on his chest. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat soothed her. She was completely at peace, and her mind probably would've drifted away had Georg not spoken.

"Maria, is there anyone I should go to to ask permission to marry you?"

She raised her head and met his gaze. There was only one answer she could give him, and Georg had a very good idea of what she would say.

"Well, why don't we ask-"

His suspicions confirmed, he spoke the last two words with her: "-the children?"

She smiled up at him, as he reached up and cupped the back of her neck, pulling her towards him for another kiss. Just before their lips touched...

"FRAULEIN MARIA'S BACK!"

"What?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Her bag and guitar are in her room."

Georg and Maria smiled at each other. It appeared their time together had ended. They caught fragments of the childrens' conversation, which only made them smile more.

"Where do...she is?"

"Why didn't...say hello?"

"I wonder...Father knows?"

* * *

Sighing, Georg stood up and held out his hand to Maria. "Shall we?" he asked.

Maria nodded, taking his hand and standing up herself.

"Yes, lets," she said. "Let's go tell your children the news, Captain."

" _Our_ children, _liebling_. Our children."

She smiled, rising up on to her tiptoes to kiss her captain fully, before taking his hand and heading out of the study, towards their wonderful future.


	5. Epilogue

Maria was hesitant when she knocked on the door to her husband's study. Her husband. If she wasn't so agitated she would have indulged in the feeling that she was finally able to say that. It had been just over a month since the wedding and she still wasn't fully used to it.

"Come in," came a voice from within.

Maria cautiously stepped inside. As she did she remembered the day she had returned to the villa, knowing she was in love with Georg. Here, in this very room, all her dreams had been realised and surpassed. It had started in this room.

And for some reason she couldn't explain, Maria knew it would end here, too.

They had arrived back in Salzburg that morning, after having cut the honeymoon short due to the political situation of their homeland. Georg had received a telegram and disappeared into the study to read it. He'd been gone a while. Maria didn't know what the telegram said, but she knew it wasn't good.

"Maria, I've told you before that you don't have to knock," Georg said, slightly exasperated. He had truly just spoken to avoid the topic of the telegram he held in his hand. But it didn't matter much; he knew Maria would bring it up anyway. That's why she was here.

"I'm sorry, darling," she replied, moving over and sitting on the sofa. "Force of habit, I guess. Besides, you seemed annoyed. Are you alright?"

"Truthfully, no," he answered. Georg had wanted to say he was fine. But he couldn't. It wouldn't help anything and it wasn't fair.

"What is it?" Maria asked, lifting her head towards the telegram in her husband's hand.

"Berlin," he stated. "They've offered me a commission in their Navy. I've been requested to accept immediately and report to their naval base at Bremehaven tomorrow."

"I knew something like this would happen, but I had hoped it wouldn't be so soon," said Maria sadly.

He left his chair and sat by Maria on the sofa. "I'm not surprised, really," Georg said. "But I guess that you're never ready for something like this."

"I don't think you can be," Maria said seriously. She looked her husband directly in the eye.

"What do we do?"

"To refuse them would be fatal for all of us," Georg said. "And joining them would be...unthinkable. There really is only one option."

"We have to leave," Maria said. It was a statement not a question.

Georg nodded, before draping his arms around her and pulling her close.

"I don't know what our future will be like, Maria," he said. "But I do know we will get through it. Together. And though it doesn't make it any easier, this situation is not unexpected."

Maria shook her head slowly, in understanding.

"What is unexpected, my dear," Georg continued. "Is you. If someone had told me last year that you would be in my life, like this, I never would've believed it."

"Neither would I,"

As soon as the words left Maria's mouth, Georg captured her lips in a long kiss. A kiss full of hope, love and everything else they shared; everything they needed to face the uncertain future ahead.

"But I wouldn't have it any other way."


End file.
